Wednesday noon Intercessory service cancelled this week

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The Intercessory Prayers with Holy Eucharist is cancelled on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.

There will be a Evening Compline Prayers with Deacon Cecily at 7 p.m. and the regular 9 a.m. worship service this Sunday, February 28, 2021 with Walk/Drive Through Communion and Prayers at 10 a.m. plus the additional 5 p.m. Sunday service of Lenten prayers.

Also, by now you should have received in the mail, your ballot for this year’s annual meeting.  Please send it back as soon as you can, or you may stop in the building Monday-Thursday between 9 a.m.-noon to drop it in the ballot box in the lobby.  If you have not received your ballot in the mail and are concerned, please contact the office.  It is important that all eligible voters be able to make their voice heard!

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for February 21, 2021

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First Sunday in LentHello faith family! February 21, 2021 is the First Sunday in Lent. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. and again at 5 p.m. on our YouTube channel. Here is the service program and the service program in large print for Sunday morning worship. At 5 p.m. on every Sunday in Lent, there will be evening prayers on our YouTube channel. 

There will be no drive through Communion this Sunday.  It will resume next week on February 28, 2021.

Please see our parish prayer list. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

This Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 10:30 a.m., week 3 of adult education 3-week series, Spirituality in the Lord of the Rings, live via Zoom (for real this time)  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.  Reading the book is not a requirement, and you can participate in one or all of the sessions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for February 14, 2021

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Last Sunday in EpiphanyHello faith family!  February 14, 2021 is the Last Sunday in Epiphany: Lent is right around the corner!. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. YouTube channel. Here is the service program, and the service program in large print for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed. If you would like one, please let me know.

Please see our parish prayer list. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

This Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 10:30 a.m., adult education will meet via ZOOM to conclude the discussion around “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spirituality in the Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.  Reading the book is not a requirement, and you can participate in one or all of the sessions.

Also on February 14, 2021 at 10:30 a.m., Novel Theology will be meeting to discuss “The Peppermint Tea Chronicles” by Alexander McCall Smith.  From the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to Isabel Dalhousie, Alexander McCall Smith is famous for crafting warm and witty series beloved by fans around the world. This is the 13th book in one of his most charming series, 44 Scotland Street, telling the story of this cozy Scottish neighborhood’s residents

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for February 7, 2021

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Epiphany 5Hello faith family!  February 7, 2021 is the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. YouTube channel. Here is the service program, and the service program in large print for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed. If you would like one, please let me know.


Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over ths list, and send me any updates or additions.

From 11 a.m.-noon, please join us for a special Fellowship Hour with Bishop Kevin Brown.  An email invitation with the link will be sent to you on Sunday.

Next Sunday, the 14th, at 10:30am, adult ed will meet via ZOOM to conclude the discussion around “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.  Reading the book is not a requirement, and you can participate in one or all of the sessions.

Also on February 14, 2021, Novel Theology will be meeting to discuss “The Peppermint Tea Chronicles” by Alexander McCall Smith.  From the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to Isabel Dalhousie, Alexander McCall Smith is famous for crafting warm and witty series beloved by fans around the world. This is the 13th book in one of his most charming series, 44 Scotland Street, telling the story of this cozy Scottish neighborhood’s residents.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for January 24, 2021

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Epiphany 3Hello faith family!  January 24, 2021 is the Third Sunday after Epiphany.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on YouTube channel. Here is the  service program and the service program in large print, for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed.  If you would like one, please let me know.  

Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list, and send me any updates or additions.

This Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss “Season of Wonder” by Rae Anne Thayne.  An email invitation will be sent out.  ALL are WELCOME to participate in this discussion – reading the book is never a requirement.

The following Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 10:30 a.m., Lord of the Rings theme adult education will meet via ZOOM to continue the discussion around “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings” by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.  Reading the book is not a requirement, and you can participate in one or all of the sessions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for January 17, 2021

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Hello faith family!  Happy Epiphany!  January 17, 2021 is the Second Sunday after Epiphany.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel.  Here is the service program and the service program in large print, for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed.  If you would like one, please let me know.  

Please see our parish prayer list to this email. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

The much anticipated Lord of the Rings theme adult education will continue this Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. A ZOOM invitation will be sent to all on Sunday morning. This session will utilize “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for January 10, 2021

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Hello faith family!  Happy Epiphany!  January 10, 2021 will be the First Sunday after Epiphany.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel.  Here is the  service program.

Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list to this email.  These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

The much anticipated Lord of the Rings theme adult education will begin this Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. via ZOOM.  A ZOOM invitation will be sent to all on Sunday morning.  This session will utilize “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Epiphany Intercessory prayer service at noon

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Happy 2021 faith family!  Wednesday, January 6, 2021 is Epiphany.  In the interest of health and safety, we will not be celebrating in our traditional ways this year. However, this is still an important date in our calendar.  At noon, there will be a special Intercessory Prayer service with music and Holy Eucharist. Tomorrow at noon, connect to our  YouTube page and here is the accompanying service leaflet.

“Chalking your door” is another way to remember this day in a socially distanced way.  This year, perhaps more than ever, is a year in which we need to invite Jesus  into our homes, our Domestic Churches.Instructions for Blessing the Home:Using chalk, mark the lintel of your front door as follows:
20 + C + M + B + 21 saying:
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty one years ago.
May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year.
Amen.

Then, say the following prayer:
Visit, O Blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence.
Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love;
and grant that we may manifest your love to each other
and to all whose lives we touch.
May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you;
guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace,
O Jesus Christ, now and for ever.
Amen.

What does the inscription ‘20 + C + M + B + 21′ mean?
The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi – Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar – who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.”

The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “21” at the end mark the current year.
Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless those homes so marked and that He stay with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year.

On Thursday, Deacon Cecily will continue her Thursday night Compline service at 7 p.m.  via ZOOM.  ALL are Welcome. 

This Sunday, January 10, 2021, we will have our regular 9 a.m. worship service, coming to you LIVE on YouTube and in-person by sign-up.  Following the service, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10-11 a.m. ALL are Welcome.

This Sunday also begins the new year of Adult Christian Education at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. The first session will focus on the book “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of the Lord of the Rings”.  A Zoom invitation will be sent on Sunday.  Please contact the office with any questions.

To see all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for January 3, 2021

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Hello faith family!  I hope this finds you well on the last day of 2020.  January 3, 2021 is the second Sunday after Christmas. Here is the  service program for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed.  If you would like one, please let me know. 

We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel. Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list.  These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

The much anticipated Lord of the Rings theme adult education will begin next Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. via ZOOM.  A ZOOM invitation will be sent to all.  It will utilize “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

Please continue to share your impressions and ideas for both in-person and online worship.  Your thoughts are appreciated!

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

Worship service for December 20, 2020

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Hello faith family!  I hope this finds you well.  December 20, 2020 is the fourth Sunday of Advent. We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel.  Here is the  service program, and the service program in large print  for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed. If you would like one, please let me know.

Following the service each week in Advent, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m. ALL are Welcome!

And then, at 5 p.m., there will be Lessons & Carols for Advent, live via YouTube.  Here is the leaflet for that event. 

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

I have provided our parish prayer list. These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

The Lord of the Rings adult education class has been postponed until January, so we can focus on celebrating the Advent season in new and meaningful ways during this unprecedented year.  This gives you plenty of time to dust off this awesome trilogy, or enjoy them for the first time!

On December 27, 2020, Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss “Where Courage Calls” by Janey Oke and Laurel Oke Lagan.  There is still plenty of time to dig into this good read.

In this strange time, the church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to your church or online giving. See our Giving page. 

Please continue to share your impressions and ideas for both in-person and online worship.  Your thoughts are appreciated!

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644